In March we didn't move house, I became increasingly grumpy which was relieved by a trip north

Then there was April when we said our goodbyes to the Midlands and, after seven months of house selling shenanigans we moved to the Scottish borders!

May was all about settling into our new abode and starting to finally realise the sea glass and pottery jewellery ideas which had been brewing for years

June was full to the brim with local visits, learning new jewellery making techniques and launching my very own website!

July I continued working hard, announced a new stockist in The Smokehouse Gallery and had a wee holiday when my parents came to visit

August brought visits from much missed friends, jewellery work shops and my first fair since we moved

In September we celebrated the start of a new term without going back to school, I appeared in the local paper, attended another fair, visited Crossing Borders Open Studios, made my first bezel set ring, provided Chirnside Gallery with some jewellery, foraged for elderberries and damsons and enjoyed some stormy seas

October led to two more fairs, many new jewellery designs and seeing R's painting exhibited

November brought three new gallery stockists and snow, lots of snow which was beautiful but cancelled my last Christmas fair

Now December brought festive joy and R asking me a very important question* to which I answered yes!

Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Now you can put your own choice of treats, jokes and hats inside your own handmade crackers! Cracker snaps are widely available to buy online and there should just be time for delivery if you order now, in the mean time start saving your bog rolls!

The Excellent Living Guide offer both a Bath Bomb for Beginners Guide and a huge 48 page guide to the process all for free! Generous souls! I really want to try this, but might wait until I'm back in NI as bad things might happen in my suit case if I attempt to bring my first attempt home!

Thursday, 9 December 2010

My socks have been rocked by many a dinner with people I love on this side of the Irish sea. Now I am very much looking forward to Christmas with my fabulous family, some of whom I haven't seen in over a year.

I cannot wait until the yarns over a drink with friends, catching up on all the happenings, looking forward to exciting things (happening very soon for some people!) seeing how children have grown, walking the dogs, seeing my brother's new house and more importantly seeing the siblings themselves! Yay!

Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

Since moving into the new community where I now live I have retained a shy distance which I'd like to ditch and really get to know the people I'm meeting. Especially the people at Church who have been so kind and welcoming and I still feel a bit socially awkward.

The last time I moved community came so much more quickly and easily as anybody who has worked in a school will probably have felt. Now, working for myself I do not have loads of fab colleagues around. However, I do have the joy of working with R and am also so glad his lovely Mum and Dad are nearby, although we must start varying the times we call round as it always seems to be exactly tea time / dinner time and it's starting to look a bit suspect!

The internet has allowed me to continue a sense of community with friends far and wide and introduced me to so many people through this blog, twitter, Facebook and the Handmade in Europe Artfire Guild. I really appreciate the chat, comments, links and laughs, thank you all.

Monday, 6 December 2010

Prompt: Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

The last thing I made are these aqua sea glass and recycled silver star earrings. Next year I am hoping to clear some space for some more making in addition to the jewellery; making some marks on paper again and making some progress with the sewing machine which remains untried under my work desk.

Sunday, 5 December 2010

This year I let go of being a secondary school English teacher. Even though I left my full time job over two years ago I continued doing supply at my old school and a few others. So it was only when we moved at the end of April that I actually really let go of that job. Last week I had a voice mail from the supply agency I worked for who were just checking if I would be coming back from Scotland as they had work for me! This really made me laugh and no, I'm not coming back!

I have been glad to let go of the too-much-for-one-person workload and very happy that despite being many miles away from the fabulous friends I made I haven't had to let them go. Thank goodness for the internet!

If any of my old students ever stumble across my blog I'd just like to say hello and hope you are doing well!

Prompt: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

'Wide eyed wonder'

'Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hands hath made'

This phrase and snippet from 'How Great Thou Art' came into my mind when I thought about the whole idea of 'wonder' as did a memory from a radio programme where a couple explained they decided not to have children because they felt they had retained their sense of wonder at the world. I thought that was interesting perspective and nobody can deny the wonder with which children approach the world.

It is more than curiosity isn't it? Wonder is what can happen when you allow yourself to be amazed, surprised, delighted and awed. How to cultivate a sense of wonder then, apart from staring around you, asking questions like a small child and belting out a few verses of How Great Thou Art?

meeting a camel on the way to buy groceries always helps the wonder

The prompt asks how did I cultivate a sense of wonder in the last year. I went out into my surroundings and looked around. I talked to people. I enjoyed books, films, music, paintings, the internet. I took photographs. I prayed. I joined my Church in praise. I sat quietly. I remembered I have my own permission to be as excited as a small child at Christmas time at any given moment.

Friday, 3 December 2010

Prompt: Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colours).

Having spent a few years asking my students to do writing tasks like this it is only now sitting down to do one myself I remember how difficult it can actually be! I skipped Day Two's prompt as I arrived late to Reverb and writing is not my central focus. Note I did not say I am not a writer as to do so could potentially risk the wrath of all those students who I challenged over using this very phrase, 'we are all writers' I would declare swishing around the class room to an accompanying chorus of grumbles. However, I do concede it isn't always easy.

Since arriving at our new home there have been many moments of feeling alive again after the dormant winter of waiting. One particular moment happened after a day of working hard on some new pieces, R had been hunched over his drawing and we went for a short walk up the road. The air was crisp and clear with a late summer fragrant chill and it felt good to stretch mind and body away from the work table.

As the road rose we could see over the fields and standing grazing nearby were three deer. I still get such a thrill seeing deer so close and these were so close I could see them without my glasses! After a few moments of silent admiration they noticed our presence and pranced off into the distance as the sun's light faded. By the time we turned to head back it was quite dark and to the reverberating calls of pheasants and owls we strode home feeling fully alive with the happy realisation that we live here.

Thursday, 2 December 2010

For the month of December I will be participating in Reverb10 which is 'an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what's next. The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10, we'll do both'.

So here goes . . .

The first prompt: December 1 One Word- Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

My word for 2010 has to be moving. I talked about it, thought about it, worried about and finally did it. Moving house, moving countries, moving, moving, moving. To those readers who stuck with me in all my many complaints about the process and to my long suffering friends and family, thank you!

Moving encapsulates more than just the physical up-sticking we have gone through though. My work has started moving in directions I am happier with and excited about and even my online presence has been moving away from the shops here there and everywhere to what is, hopefully, becoming a more coherent, centralised space.

As for 2011 I'm going with progress. I can be a faffer cautious decision maker for all sorts of reasons whether lacking confidence, being a little overwhelmed by choices needing to be made or passing butterflies distracting my attention. Now that the big "brave" things like leaving my job and moving are out of the way I would really like 2011 to be a year of progress.

This tutorial is coming early as these take a while to make! Last year the ladies on my jewellery making course and I had a go at making some beaded bauble covers and they turned out really well with range of colour combinations used to great effect. However, they are quite time consuming unless you are a swifty pro beader!

Such a beautiful effect and a lovely gift idea. If you would like to buy a kit which includes all instructions, beads, thread and a needle check out the listings over on Damselfly Gemma's Folksy Shop. For just £4.00 you will get everything you need to make a beaded bauble cover like this:

Wednesday, 1 December 2010

Welcome to December and the first in my Advent Calendar of making joy! Over the next 24 days in the lead up to Christmas Day itself there will be a quick link to something festive including a stack of fabulous craft tutorials and recipes! With many thanks to all the people out there on the interwebs who share such brilliant ideas.

Hopefully you will find something fun to make with your family or ideas for handmade gifts, may the festivities begin!